May 6, 2025

The University of Guelph and the University of St Michael’s College at the University of Toronto have each announced they have met their divestment goals. UoGuelph has completed its divestment from fossil fuel companies, meeting its goal of complete divestment by early 2025. The university has also reduced its greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels and aims to reduce them by an additional 37% by 2030. St Mike’s has reached its goal of full divestment from fossil fuels five years ahead of its target. “By moving away from investing in fossil fuels we want to demonstrate to stakeholders that we see sustainability not just as a goal but as a principle that guides our lives,” said St Mike President David Sylvester.

The University of New Brunswick Law School has received a $1.5M combined donation from Atlantic Canada’s largest law firm, Stewart McKelvey. The contribution will go towards the development of the law school’s new Legal Observatory, as part of UNB Law’s “Where Leaders are Made” campaign. “This remarkable investment in UNB Law will build upon Stewart McKelvey and UNB’s twin legacies of excellence ensuring that we continue to produce outstanding leaders who will confront society’s toughest challenges,” said UNB President Dr Paul Mazerolle.

Coast Mountain College, the College of New Caledonia, Northern Lights College, and the University of Northern British Columbia have partnered with Northern Health on a regional campaign to address healthcare staffing shortages. The campaign promotes related programs offered by the four institutions in areas and emphasizes how local training can lead to rewarding careers with competitive salaries, strong benefits, and the opportunity to improve quality of life in Northern British Columbia. “We all share the goal of building our healthcare resources here in the North,” said CMTN President Laurie Waye. Enrolment remains open for many featured programs for Fall 2025. To build broader awareness of career opportunities in healthcare, partners also plan to roll out additional outreach initiatives in the months ahead.

Male enrolment in Canadian postsecondary education has stagnated for decades, contributing to a persistent gender gap on campus, reports Sonia Mendes of University Affairs. Women now make up 56.1% of students in Canada, according to 2022–23 Statistics Canada data. Mendes highlights several theories on the factors that may be influencing this trend, such as early academic disengagement, the appeal of direct-to-work careers, and “male flight” from feminized disciplines. Researchers urged policymakers to take the issue more seriously, asserting that this entrenched imbalance could have long-term impacts on labour markets, social mobility, and civic life. While institutions are attempting to address the gap with inclusive recruitment efforts—such as male-targeted marketing and outreach—experts argue that lasting solutions must begin in the K–12 system.

Algoma University and Carleton University are each taking steps to save money. AlgomaU is pausing admissions for five academic programs for one year. Paused programs are geography, history, music, sociology and visual arts, all of which reportedly have low enrolment numbers. Carleton’s board of governors has approved its 2025-26 budget, which aims to eliminate a projected $80M deficit by 2028-29. The university is planning to take a variety of steps, including new program development, program review, increased fees, and cutting contract instructors by 50%.

Artificial intelligence is transforming education, but its success hinges on ethical, inclusive, and pedagogically sound implementation, write Patrick Blessinger, Abhilasha Singh (American University), and James Brown (City University of New York) for University World News. The authors argue that tools like intelligent tutoring systems and predictive analytics can personalize learning and support instructors in higher education. However, while AI can assist with tasks such as automating feedback or identifying learning gaps, it cannot replace the human capacity to interpret nuance, build relationships, or mentor students through complex challenges. For postsecondary institutions, this means rethinking faculty development, embedding AI literacy across programs, and closing digital equity gaps. “AI-powered learning is not a story about machines. It is about people,” the authors conclude.

The Earth District—a consortium of postsecondary institutions including Centennial College, Fleming College, Ontario Tech University, Trent University, and the University of Toronto Scarborough—has signed a memorandum of understanding with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). This agreement will foster collaboration opportunities such as guest lectures from TRCA experts, joint research, sustainability-focused projects, and cooperation regarding student internships and experiential learning opportunities. The partners will also use TRCA or Earth District member sites for activities such as research or programming. “Together, Earth District and the TRCA will go well beyond the teaching of sustainability — to living it, building it, and, ultimately, making it a central pillar of the communities we call home,” said Centennial President Dr Craig Stephenson.

Canadian film archives are facing ongoing challenges as aging collections, obsolete formats, and a gradual loss of technical expertise complicate efforts to safeguard the country’s audiovisual heritage. Digitization projects at institutions such as Library and Archives Canada and the Cinémathèque Québécoise are improving access, but experts note that digital copies cannot fully replace physical preservation. “If you don’t take care of the actual objects on which the audiovisual contents are recorded, you won’t have anything to work with in the future,” said University of Montréal Professor Louis Pelletier. The Globe and Mailreports that archivist training continues at some postsecondary institutions, like the University of Toronto, but limited job opportunities and constrained resources have made sustaining long-term preservation capacity difficult.

The family of an international student who passed away last month is calling for answers from the Ottawa Police Service (OPS), reports CBC. Algonquin College student Vanshika Saini reportedly went missing in late April and was found deceased two days later. Saini’s cousin Raman Deepkaur told CBC that OPS has given the family inconsistent answers about the death, including differing locations of where the body was found. “We just want answers about what had happened to her — why and when and how,” said Deepkaur.

Concordia University’s Department of Contemporary Dance has reimagined its curriculum and admissions model to reflect dance’s role as both an artistic and political force. Rooted in decolonial frameworks, the redesigned program fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and community-based engagement. Students participate in seminars that validate personal movement histories, collaborate across artistic disciplines, perform in public spaces, and examine anatomy through non-Western lenses. “This shift allows students to engage with art in a contemporary social context, rather than in an isolated academic setting,” said Concordia Department Chair Jens Richard Giersdorf. Additionally, the new admissions process prioritizes creativity and non-traditional movement backgrounds, opening doors to a broader and more diverse pool of aspiring dancers.